OKLAHOMA MOVIE MAKERS
 by Marc Hall
The Oklahoma Movie Makers group was created on January 5, 2004. Originally
it was created as a SPAM-FREE online group to find (and post) casting and
crew calls. The main focus of the group is Oklahoma - however Texas, Kansas,
Arkansas and Missouri productions and film festivals are also covered when
available.
Shortly after the creation of OMM, a small group of members decided that
group meetings would be beneficial and that a short film should be done as
a group project. Beginning in March 2004, bi-weekly meetings were held at
a Barnes and Noble bookstore in Tulsa, OK and plans were quickly underway
for a short film. It was decided that the short would be created as a
collaboration and as a result was written (and soon directed) by three different
members.
| The short that was created was The Diner, a 2006 AMPS
'Certificate of Merit' winner. The Diner went on to play in
numerous festivals and fundraisers and in April 2005 received the coveted
'Bonehead Award' from the Bare Bones International Film Festival in Muskogee,
OK.
After The Diner, OMM decided to begin helping (on a volunteer
basis) other amateur filmmakers, who had no crew or equipment, in the filming
of their projects. |
The 'Bonehead' gets its name in honor of the bare
bones no/low budget approach to indie filmmaking.
In October 2006, The Diner gained
the distinction as an 'Oklahoma Classic Short' from the Bare Bones International
Film Festival committee in honor of the collaborative effort used for its
creation. |
|
This would give the participating OMM members valuable hands-on experience
as well as credits for their resumes. Close to 20 projects, many of which
went on to be award winners, have been created in association with OMM.
A few times a year OMM offers guest speakers, special film screenings and
workshops aimed at helping amateur filmmakers succeed. These workshops, presented
by Oklahoma industry professionals, are offered for free. They have covered
everything from lighting for film and video to insurance to lens filters
As of this writing, OMM has 872 online members from around the world and
has been featured on numerous local television stations, newspapers and radio.
Weekly meetings are held every Thursday in the newly renovated Circle Cinema,
which is offered to OMM free of charge by owner Clark Weins, a big supporter
of indie film in Tulsa. OMM continues to function and grow as an all volunteer
group with no membership fees.
- Marc Hall
Visit OMM's area on
Yahoo
Groups or
MySpace and check out the website for Marc's hit film
Timmy.
This article first appeared in AMPS Movie Makers volume 18, no. 2
March 2008. It is reproduced by kind permission of the author and editor.
 |
